1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, an information processing method, a digital interface, an information management method and a storage medium, and in particular to a communication network wherein a plurality of devices can be interconnected.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in a communication network using a digital interface, such as a centronics interface, a host and a device are connected to each other with a one-to-one correspondence. In such a network, if the number of devices to be connected is increased, a great load may be imposed on the host.
In order to resolve this problem, a bus network has been proposed wherein a plurality of devices (e.g., a digital video, a digital camera, a scanner and a host computer) can be interconnected.
In this bus network, generally, unique ID information is provided for the individual devices so that each of the devices can identify the others.
The ID information includes, for example, a unique maker ID for a device manufacturer, and a device ID (e.g., a serial No.) that the maker arbitrarily assigns to the device.
By employing the specified ID information, each device in the bus network is able to specifically identify each of the other devices.
However, the following problem is encountered when the bus network described above is employed.
When, for example, the ID information is to be displayed on the screen of a specific device, it is difficult for a user to ascertain the actual location of each device. Especially when a plurality of the same kind of devices manufactured by the same maker are connected to the network, a user must determine where a desired device is actually located by examining the device ID included in the ID information.
Furthermore, when the interconnection of the devices can be graphically displayed with the ID information, a user must ascertain where a desired device is actually located while alternately confirming the connection status of the devices and how they are connected on the display screen. Especially when the network in question is large and a number of the individual devices are located outside the range of the sight of the user, it is very difficult for the user to ascertain the actual location of a desired device.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above described problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a technique, for an electronic apparatus, an information processing method, a digital interface, an information management method and a storage medium, whereby the actual location of a desired device connected to a network can be easily determined.
As a preferred embodiment for such objects, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
a storage unit, for storing inherent information for the electronic apparatus, including, at the least, position information specifically designating the location of the electronic apparatus; and
a transmission unit, for transmitting the contents of the storage means via a bus network.
As another embodiment, an information processing method according to the present invention comprises the steps of:
storing, at the least, position information specifically identifying the location of an electronic apparatus in a memory for storing inherent information for the electronic apparatus; and
transmitting the contents of the memory via a bus network.
As an additional embodiment, a digital interface according to the present invention comprises:
a storage unit for storing inherent information concerning an electronic apparatus incorporating the digital interface, the inherent information including, at the least, position information specifically identifying the location of the electronic apparatus; and
a transmission unit for transmitting the contents of the storage means via a bus network.
As a further embodiment, an information management method according to the present invention comprises the steps of:
writing inherent information for an electronic apparatus in a memory of the electronic apparatus, the inherent information including, at the least, position information specifically identifying the location of the electronic apparatus; and
transmitting the contents of the memory via a bus network.
As yet one more embodiment, a storage medium according to the present invention comprises:
a first area to be managed based on an address area used in common by a plurality of electronic apparatuses connected to a bus network; and
a second area for the storage of inherent information for each of the electronic apparatuses for which the storage medium is provided, the inherent information including, at the least, position information specifically identifying the locations of the electronic apparatuses.
As yet another embodiment, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
a requesting unit, for querying another electronic apparatus connected to a bus network to obtain inherent information concerning the queried electronic apparatus, including, at the least, position information specifically identifying the location of the queried electronic apparatus; and
a control unit, for displaying, on a display device, a connection relationship for the bus network and the inherent information for the queried electronic apparatus.
As yet an additional embodiment, an information processing method according to the present invention comprises the steps of:
requesting that a specific electronic apparatus connected to a bus network provide inherent information for a different electronic apparatus, including, at the least, position information specifically identifying the location of the different electronic apparatus; and
displaying, on a display device, a connection relationship on the bus network and the inherent information for the different electronic apparatus.
Still other objects of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, will become fully apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the embodiment.